1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hand climbers for use when raising or lowering tree stands such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,645, and for other uses. More particularly, the invention relates to a lightweight readily-portable hand climber which avoids damage to the surface of the tree o other member being climbed, and which may optionally include a seat assembly which pivots out of the way when climbing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Game hunters commonly use so-called climbing tree stands to position themselves above the ground on a tree trunk for better hunting and spotting their prey. Various designs of such tree stands are shown in the prior art; they are generally fabricated principally of metal and designed to be raised to a selected height on the trunk and anchored there, for example by spike-like members which dig into the trunk to prevent slippage. Some tree stands can only be raised by use of the hunter's hands, but most can also be lifted using the feet, provided the hunter has a means of hand support above the tree stand while so lifting the stand. Dye U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,645 shows one such foot-liftable tree stand.
As above indicated, in order to lift or lower a tree stand using the feet, the hunter must be able to hang by his or her hands from a supporting member. Tree limbs can act as such supporting members, but frequently such limbs are too high up the trunk for the hunter to reach. Accordingly, a number of prior art workers have developed so-called hand climbers to provide supporting hand grips for use with foot-liftable tree stands. Such prior art hand climbers have various deficiencies, as will now be discussed.
Ferguson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,765 provides a horizontal metal gripping bar and four rigid elongated metal links pivotally connected end to end with the distal ends of the first and fourth links slidably positioned on the bar. In use, edges of the links contact and dig into the trunk at four points around the circumference and thereby support the weight of the climber hanging on the bar. This arrangement, being of metal, is heavy and cumbersome to use and can cause damage to the tree trunk where the link edges engage the trunk.
Gober U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,076 provides a flexible metal strap one end of which is pivotally connected to a corner of a rectangular metal plate. At the diagonally opposite corner of the plate an extending pin is engaged by one of a series of longitudinally extending spaced holes formed in the body of the metal strap. A metal bar is fastened to the plate and oriented across the diagonally opposite corners not occupied by the strap ends. In use the strap is tightened around the tree trunk as much as possible by pulling the free end of the strap and then slipping the nearest strap hole over the engaging pin. The climber then grasps the end of the bar, which is initially at an angle with respect to the horizontal, and twists it toward the horizontal to thereby force the strap even more tightly against the trunk. Support of the climber is thus achieved partly by friction and partly by the edge of the strap digging into the tree trunk. Like Ferguson et al.'s climber, the Gober device is of metal and thus heavy, causes damage to the tree trunk, and is difficult to use safely since force must be maintained on the bar at all times to keep the plate twisting for maximum strap tightness.
It is noted that neither the Ferguson et al. nor the Gober climber would be safe for use on a pole surface other than a tree trunk, e.g. a smooth hard surface into which the metal strap could not dig for support.
Other hand climbers exist, but all of which I am aware have similar or more serious deficiencies to those mentioned above; some include metal straps or some other feature such as teeth for digging into, and thereby damaging, the tree trunk to prevent slipping, and in some the gripping bar projects outwardly from the trunk toward the user, making it both difficult to hold comfortably and a potential hazard to the user's head. Examples of other climbers are shown in Dye U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,645 and Wallace U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,815.